Fifteen Days to Divorce novel · Chapter 14 of 24

Chapter 14: The End of the Pier

On Thursday afternoon Ellie stood Malachi in the middle of her office and asked him a question about his childhood.

"Where did you grow up, Mr. Branigan?"

She asked it the way a reporter would, bright and quick, with a pen held up.

Malachi opened his mouth.

"C," he said. "C. C."

His eyes shut.

His hand opened and closed at his side.

"Again," said Ellie.

"C. Cl."

"Breathe, and again."

Portia sat on the radiator cover and watched his shoulders climb toward his ears.

It was the tenth time that week the sentence had broken, and it was the first time she could not stand to watch it.

She got up and crossed the room.

She laid her hand flat on his back, between the shoulder blades, and left it there.

He stopped fighting.

His breath went out of him.

"Cleveland," he said.

All of it, whole.

Ellie lifted her mug.

"Well, that's a fine way to do it," she said. "Keep the hand."

Portia kept the hand.

At eight-thirty that night, Frances parked her old green sedan in the pier lot with the engine off.

"Your phone will be on the line to mine," she said. "I'm recording every word on this one."

"I know."

"If she touches you, I'm putting this car through the carousel."

"Please don't."

Portia walked out along the boards alone, in a plain coat, with her hands in her pockets.

The pier was nearly empty.

The carousel had stopped, and the painted horses stood in a ring with their mouths open.

Margo was waiting at the rail in a camel coat, looking at the water.

"There she is," she said, without turning. "You came by yourself. Good girl."

"Don't call me that."

"I've called you worse in my head." Margo turned around.

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